February 18, 2022

Black Pet Business Network, Dutch & Bond Vet

🐶 Industry News

– Had the chance to talk with Lashonda Geffrard, founder of the Black Pet Business Network, this week. Lashonda has been a pet groomer for 15 years and opened The Paw Shop salon outside Orlando in 2015. After meeting pet owners in her community who were struggling to provide for their pets, she founded Paws of Hope, a non-profit that provides free grooming, food and supplies, and vaccines for needy families. This led her to join the Pup Relief Tour, a 6-city road trip in 2020 that helped pet owners who were affected by the pandemic.

After years of going to pet industry events and noticing a lack of African-Americans, Lashonda got the idea for the Black Pet Business Network. (Less than 5% of pet professionals are people of color.) The goal of the group is to bring together black professionals in the pet industry to meet, network and learn from each other. Currently in startup mode, its primary activity now is showcasing various pet business pros: groomers, veterinarians, trainers, entrepreneurs and the like. Monthly educational classes focused on business topics are in development. Lashonda is looking to connect with other black pet professionals and pet companies interested in reaching this underrepresented group. She can be contacted through email or Instagram.

– Pet startup event news:

• Target is accepting applications for its Takeoff Pets Accelerator program.
• EU-Startups Summit is looking for pet tech companies to showcase (closes today.)
• Plug and Play, a VC firm and accelerator, announced the winners of its latest animal health cohort. Pet companies include: PupPod (interactive dog puzzle), TeleTails (veterinary telehealth), and Helpet (app for Italian pet owners).

–Bond Vet, a vet clinic startup, is opening several new locations across the northeast US, including Boston and DC. This marks its first expansion outside the NYC area, where it debuted in 2019 and has since grown to 11 locations. Bond competes with Small Door Veterinary and Modern Animal in offering a high-end, tech-enabled vet clinic experience, focused on millennial pet owners. The company landed a $170 million investment round in October 2021.

💰 Financing & Deals

• Dutch, a San Francisco pet telehealth startup, closed a $20 million Series A round. The company was started last year by an entrepreneur who previously founded Hims & Hers, a human telehealth company that sells prescription drugs online. Since its launch, Dutch has served over 25,000 pets through 100 licensed veterinarians.

• Tomojo, a French startup that makes insect-based pet food, landed a $3.4 million round. Founded in 2017, it was the first company to make cat food from insects.

• Antelope, a private equity-funded venture looking to acquire consumer pet companies, snapped up its second business: Doggo, a digital pet insurance provider. Late last year Antelope acquired Bocce’s Bakery, a maker of natural pet treats. Antelope has $150 million to spend on its shopping spree.

🤷‍♂️ Somewhat Relevant

• The Cat Fanciers’ Association has listed the 10 most popular feline breeds. Coming in first place: the Ragdoll, a large, longhaired cat.

• If you liked the Super Bowl commercial with the cute robot dog chasing the Kia electric car, you may want to get a free NFT (non-fungible token) based on the robo dog.

• Want to see how your competitors are marketing online? Here is a simple way to see what Facebook and Instagram ads they are running.

💼️ Pet Industry Jobs

• Director of Strategy – Bond Vet (NYC)

• Director of Lifecycle Marketing – Bark (NYC)

• Software Engineer – Dogdrop (Los Angeles)